Complaints against influencer Simone Anderson upheld by Advertising Standard Authority

The Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) has upheld four complaints made about social media posts by Auckland influencer Simone Anderson.

Ms Anderson gained a following after losing a large amount of weight, and has since moved into posting lifestyle content, mostly on Instagram where she has 314,000 followers.

The ASA's complaints board said the four posts in question met their definition of advertisements, but did not make it clear enough to the audience that they were advertisements.

The outcome is the third in a line of similar complaints against social media advertising by influencers or celebrities in New Zealand.

Former Bachelor contestant Art Green removed a post in which he endorsed Heineken beer after a complaint was made to the ASA, saying that his inclusion of #sp in the post was not enough to indicate he was being paid to post.

All Blacks Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie were also involved in an Instagram post for Moet, which the ASA ruled against because of the pair being designated as "heroes of the young" who shouldn't be promoting alcohol. The post was removed.

Ms Anderson has also been accused recently of not being transparent in regards to a Facebook page she runs - Simone's Second Hand Wardrobe - where she sells the items she is sent by companies.

The ASA will also consider a complaint about that page.